Sync preferences

Sync preferences

The Sync pane contains the following preferences:

Figure. MIDI Sync preferences.

When Show Advanced Tools is selected in Advanced preferences, the following are available:

  • All MIDI Output: Delay slider: Delays or advances the MIDI output for all ports, so you can compensate for any timing differences between MIDI tracks and audio or software instrument tracks.

  • MIDI Clock: “Allow to send Song Position Pointer while playing” checkbox: Allows Logic Pro to send Song Position Pointer (SPP) data while playing. In accordance with the MIDI Standard, Song Position Pointer (SPP) data is not normally sent in playback mode. The advantage is that external devices can also follow Logic Pro in Cycle mode. If your external devices cannot process SPP, you should deselect this option. If your devices can follow MTC (MIDI Time Code), you should leave this option unselected (default), and use the MTC functions of Logic Pro.

  • MTC Pickup Delay slider: This should generally be set to zero, to ensure the quickest possible pickup time while Logic Pro is in MIDI Time Code (MTC) Sync mode. There are, however, some devices that seem to transmit imprecise MTC commands when first started. As a result, synchronization may be unreliable, and there could be an offset every time synchronization is established. In such situations, you can set a delay time before incoming MTC is picked up. Essentially, Logic Pro will ignore the incoming MTC commands that occur in this time period. A (frame) value of 25 to 30 corresponds to a delay of about one second, depending on the frame rate. Use when synchronizing to hard disk recorders and other devices, if synchronization doesn’t appear to be consistent.

  • “Delay MTC transmission by” slider: Delays the transmission of MIDI timecode. Negative values result in MTC being transmitted earlier, allowing you to compensate for any reaction delays (to incoming MIDI timecode) in external MTC slave devices.

  • Transmit locate commands when: “Pressing Stop twice” checkbox: Transmits MMC Locate commands when the Stop button (or Stop key command) is used twice.

  • Transmit locate commands when: “Dragging regions or events” checkbox: Transmits MMC Locate commands with the position of a region that is dragged in the Tracks area when Logic Pro is stopped.

When Additional MIDI Options is selected in Advanced preferences, the following are available:

  • MMC Uses pop-up menu: Choose between MMC standard messages and the old Fostex format.

    • MMC standard messages: The MIDI MMC specification is strictly followed.

    • Old Fostex format: The old Fostex format is used for MIDI Machine Control.

  • Output ID (Transport) checkbox: The All checkbox sends MMC to all ports. Use the field to the right to specify an output port ID.

  • Input ID (Transport) checkbox: The All checkbox sends MMC to all ports. Use the field to the right to specify an input port ID.

  • “Transmit record-enable commands for audio tracks” checkbox: Transmits MMC record-enable and record-disable commands when audio tracks are record-enabled or disabled. In addition, any received MMC record-enable commands will set the record-enabled state of audio tracks.